The Reluctant Bride Book I Chapter 28.29

Meet the boyfriend.

Gu Jiao Wu dodged Tan Pan Ting’s kick.

‘Don’t yell,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘You’re phone still works.’

The security guard recognized Gu Jiao Wen, and walked away.

‘Don’t go,’ Tan Pan Ting said to the security guard. ‘Call the police, and report this pervert.’

The moment Tan Pan Ting realised what she said, she remembered it was pointless to report Gu Jiao Wen to himself.

‘Let go of my arm,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

‘No,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Even if my phone works, it’s damaged. I’m not letting you off the hook today.’

‘Alright,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘I’ll replace your phone. Now will you let go of me?’

‘I don’t want you to replace my phone anymore,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I want a different kind of compensation. Follow me. Later let me do the talking. You don’t have to say anything. You only need to play along with me.’

Tan Pan Ting wanted to use Gu Jiao Wen to avoid being forced by her parents to go on blind dates in the future.

‘Aren’t you scared I’ll do something to you if you don’t let go?’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

‘Go ahead and hit me,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Then I’ll have evidence you’re a pervert, and you used force to hit an innocent citizen.’

Gu Jiao Wen could have easily pulled his arm free. But he was distracted by Tan Pan Ting’s scent and the defiant look in her eyes.

When Tan Pan Ting took Gu Jiao Wen to Chen Ting Yu’s table at the cafe, he figured out how Tan Pan Ting wanted to him to compensate her.

Tan Pan Ting dragged Gu Jiao Wen to the table of four adults who were reminiscing the good old days.

Tan Pan Ting’s parents and Gu Jiao Wen’s parents were surprised to see Tan Pan Ting and Gu Jiao Wen arriving together. But Tan Pan Ting’s words made them speechless.

‘Dad, mum,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘The reason I don’t want to go on blind dates anymore is because I have a boyfriend. This is my boyfriend, Gu Jiao Wen.’

Tan Pan Ting was satisfied to see Tan Zui s.h.i.+ staring in shock at her hand that was holding Gu Jiao Wen’s hand. She looked at Gu Jiao Wen’s reaction. He looked like he didn’t know what was happening. She thought he was a useless cop if he couldn’t deduce the situation in front of him. She would have shaken his shoulders to wake his brain up if they weren’t standing in front of her parents.

‘Dad, mum,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Gu Jiao Wen and I have plans. We’ll leave first.’

Tan Pan Ting wanted to take Gu Jiao Wen to leave the cafe with her. Afterward she hoped she wouldn’t ever see him again.

‘Pan Ting, wait,’ Tan Zui s.h.i.+ said.

‘Jiao Wen, why didn’t you tell us that you and Pan Ting were dating?’ Chen Ting Yu asked.

Tan Pan Ting was confused why Chen Ting Yu looked so happy to know she was dating Gu Jiao Wen.

‘This is good news,’ Chen Ting Yu said.

‘It is good news,’ Tan Zui s.h.i.+ said. ‘We were worried you two would feel awkward meeting each other for the first time. It’s fate you two are together before we wanted to formally introduce you two.’

‘Indeed they’re fated to be together,’ Wen Xue Fang said and smiled.

‘Pan Ting, come sit next to me,’ Chen Ting Yu said.

Chen Ting Yu pulled her future daughter-in-law to sit down next to her.

‘Jiao Wen, Pan Ting, why didn’t you tell us this good news sooner?’ Chen Ting Yu asked.

Chen Ting Yu put a bracelet on Tan Pan Ting’s wrist before Tan Pan Ting had a chance to say something.

‘Pan Ting, this is a small gift I want to give you for our first meeting,’ Chen Ting Yu said.

‘Aunty, this bracelet…’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Tan Pan Ting didn’t understand why Chen Ting Yu wanted to give her an expensive bracelet.

‘Pan Ting, you and Jiao Wen will be married soon,’ Chen Ting Yu said. ‘You’ll become a daughter to me. Of course you can accept this bracelet.’

‘Aunty, I’m not marrying…’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Tan Pan Ting was confused. She didn’t understand why Chen Ting Yu was so happy to a.s.sume she was marrying Gu Jiao Wen.

‘Pan Ting, if you told your mum and me that you’re dating Jiao Wen sooner then we wouldn’t need to arrange this pointless blind date,’ Tan Zui s.h.i.+ said.

‘Pan Ting, your dad’s right,’ Wen Xue Fang said. She looked at Gu Jiao Wen like he was her son-in-law. ‘Jiao Wen, when I saw your photo I thought you looked handsome and polite. But seeing you in the flesh, you look more handsome than your photo. Pan Ting, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to meet such a good man like Jiao Wen.’

‘Big sister, you’re too kind,’ Chen Ting Yu said. ‘I think Jiao Wen is blessed to meet such a beautiful and a gentle woman like Pan Ting. I don’t want anyone else but Pan Ting to be my daughter-in-law.’

‘Since Jiao Wen and Pan Ting love each other, I think we should plan a wedding for them,’ Tan Zui s.h.i.+ said.

‘Yes we should plan their wedding,’ Gu Qi Jiang said. ‘Let me ask Jiao Wen’s grandpa to choose the earliest auspicious wedding date for Jiao Wen and Pan Ting.’

Tan Pan Ting’s confusion turned to panic after she heard her parents discussed planning a wedding for her and Gu Jiao Wen.

‘What wedding day?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

‘Pan Ting you must be happy everyone gave their blessings for you and Jiao Wen to marry each other,’ Wen Xue Fang said. ‘I’m happy too. This time next year, you and Jiao Wen will give me a grandchild to carry.’

Tan Pan Ting looked back and forth between Gu Jiao Wen and Gu Qi Jiang. She choked on her saliva, because Gu Jiao Wen and Gu Qi Jiang looked like a father and son pair.

‘Uncle, aunty, are you Gu Jiao Wen’s parents?’ Tan Pan Tin asked.

Tan Zui s.h.i.+ and Wen Xue Fang were worried Tan Pan Ting was deliriously happy enough to get a fever.

‘Pan Ting, are you worried we’ll mistreat you?’ Chen Ting Yu asked. ‘You don’t have to worry. All Jiao Wen’s elders are easy going.’

‘Aunty, I’m not worried about…’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Tan Pan Ting realised she made a big mistake. She looked at Gu Jiao Wen, he looked as if none of the wedding discussions surprised him. She suspected he planned everything by finding her outside the bathroom, and turning her into a clueless fool.

‘You!’ Tan Pan Ting said. She pointed a finger at Gu Jiao Wen. She was too angry to care their parents were sitting with them. ‘You did this on purpose.’

Everyone were surprised by Tan Pan Ting’s outburst.

Gu Jiao Wen stared at Tan Pan Ting’s finger accusing him of ambus.h.i.+ng her. At the start he was surprised she wanted him to pose as her boyfriend. Then he was surprised she was his blind date. She dragged him to their parents’ table before he could stop her. When their parents were discussing wedding plans, there wasn’t an opportunity for him to get a word in to explain the situation.

‘Tan Pan Ting, it was you who dragged me here,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

End of Chapters Twenty-Seven to Thirty